Behind These Gentle Walls
by Silverfern500
Summary: It's a story told over and over within the pages of this site, yet, different somehow. Once again there's trouble in the Labyrinth, and once again Sarah goes to help. But this time, it's not Jareth who's asking. It's another- and she's being deceived J/S
1. Opening act

Behind These Gentle Walls

~*~

Opening Act.

(An old familiar song plays slowly in the background)

_As the world falls down…_

(Figures dance gracefully at a ball; it seems to be a celebration of some sort)

_ Falling down…_

(A man comes on stage)

"_I thank you all for coming today to signify the fact that the Goblin King is dead, I am now your Lord and Master! Celebrate this day as you will celebrate every under me, and I shall bring peace to all."_

A small girl in the back of the crowd could barely stifle a gasp as she heard, and the speaker smirked in twisted delight- waiting for her to turn and run. When she did, as the man knew she would, he dropped his glass of wine and immediately sprinted after her. The guests and dancers vanished as the scene changed to an endless hallway- the Escher room. And so the chase began.

Her chocolate hair whipped against her bare shoulders as she clambered up and down staircases, she barely wheezed in a breath between footsteps, her legs grew weary from the strain. Her lungs burned but she refused to stop or look back. For she knew that if she did, he would be there. He was _always_ there. So much so that she could no longer tell if it were really him, with his own sadistic nature- or as a part of her begged to believe, merely an imposter out for revenge. Well it didn't matter who it was now. If they caught her….

Frantic thoughts made her heart leap faster and her legs got tangled up as they tried to made gravity work straight. She ran as fast as she could ever dream of running. And still she could not escape him. He was her death, and she knew it. All she could hear were his footsteps growing closer; all she could feel was fright – and then – nothing. Her face froze in a mask of terror at the feel of warm blood running down her back. She became weak and tired; it wasn't long before she was desperately pleading for death. It couldn't come fast enough.

(The music in the background shatters and contorts)

_Your eyes can be so cruel!_

Suddenly the girl finds herself falling… twisting and bending in the black air.

(Evil laughter fills the area and echoes around the room)

A porcelain figurine breaks into a million pieces as it hits the reflective obsidian floor. The pieces turn to glass, reflecting the depths of the world.

~*~

It's a story told over and over within the pages of this site, yet, different somehow. Once again there's trouble in the Labyrinth- and once again Sarah goes to help. But this time it isn't Jareth who is asking. It's another- and she's being deceived. Can Jareth make it to her in time to save her from his clutches- or will she escape to the Underground and leave him behind?

This story is meant to be around two acts, four scenes each (3/1/10 Half-way through the story! I finished the last part of Act One).

~*~

_When lovers leave us, what's the point? Like a socket ripped from joint. A meadow with no flowers; or a human with no soul. To idle way the hours, as earth sit still and soil. Time does not move for her; and he greaves in his sorrow. Is there no hope in them, no reason for tomorrow? When lovers break apart- earth shatters into shards. As in the living hell._

_When you're left with no more cards; When there's more than you can take, left with the pieces of thread- secluded in the lake._

_-Darksea_

_~*~_

Please leave a review, and I'll keep writing! (Yes, I'm slow. Who isn't? Have you SEEN how rushed my chapters are? Well, actually that's probably because I upload my rough copies and then clean them up later... oopsie... but don't let that deter you from reading! My paragraph structures might not be gold star, but I've been told that my ideas are! And no I don't ryhme that often, it annoys me as much as you((P.S, read the update dates on the chapters- I can't always go back to get rid of 'edit' notes, but if you read the update date then you'll know which notes to ignore and which ones to pay attention too.)))


	2. Act One, Scene One

~Thank you SO much for reading (If you have or are) Please enjoy 'the first chapter!'~

Act 1 Scene 1

Memories of a Shattered Dream

Sarah burst awake as lighting flashed outside her window. She jumped and whimpered at the noise – completely unnerved from her dream. Slowly she turned to look out, but all she could see were the darkened shadows of night and rain pouring outside. The house creaked and groaned as wind howled against it. She had had a nightmare. No, – not _a_ nightmare, – _her_ nightmare. It was the same dream she had been having every night for the past two years. Normally the dream wasn't so strong and she could just brush it off upon waking – but not tonight. Tonight the dream seemed… different. It seemed, urgent. After a while of thinking it over, the wide-eyed 17-year-old could take it no longer. She had to know the truth for herself.

The girl cursed and sucked in a sharp breath as her bare skin made contact with the cold wood floor. She barely noticed the thin layer of frost covering her room as she forced herself out of bed and tiptoed to the hallway. First she had to check on Toby, she would never forgive herself if anything happened to him.

Five steps down the hall and she was there, carefully creaking open the door. Her breath caught in her chest as she entered his room. She got a strong sense of déjà vu, and her heart wouldn't stop pounding- but the feeling went away when she pulled Toby's covers back too see that the toddler was sleeping soundly in his crib.

"Thank God." She whispered to herself.

Next was the attic, after her trip to the Labyrinth she had stored away all her childish memories. Including her vanity mirror. She hadn't called on her friend's in two whole years – but now… well, she just had to know.

The way up was dusty, and the old steps protested under her feet, but Sarah made it to the attic in one piece. The old boxes weren't labeled, but she could remember where her stuff had been placed. It still took a bit of guess-work and moving around, however. And at one o'clock, nearly thirty minutes after she had started, the mirror had been located.

Sarah sneezed as she sat in front of her portal to the underground, the dust really stirred up her allergies. She had to fight to keep her watery eyes open as she called on her friends.

"Ludo! Hoggle! Sir Didymus!" She called.

Silence. Well that was odd…. Sarah wiped her eyes and got rid of another sneeze before she tried again.

"Ludo? Hoggle? Sir Didymus?"

She waited – fighting her rising panic. Still nothing happened.

"Hoggle!" she screamed at the mirror, standing up.

Grabbing the frame and shaking it, she ignored the tears streaming down her face. She hadn't talked to her friend's for so long, but she hadn't forgotten them either. She didn't try to forget her trip to the Labyrinth, it was a part of her and she knew it. She also knew that there was no mistaking how she had once felt about the Goblin King, Jareth. But that was over now. She had a life now. In the years after her trip, Sarah had become a rising theater star at her school, she had gotten the best boyfriend ever (they'd been together for a little over a year), and she'd gotten a great part-time job. Her future was bright.

Standing here now, with Teddy-bear Pajamas on, tears streaking down her face, and messy hair clinging to her back, she was unrecognizable. Even to her self. The thought only made her sob louder.

"Hoggle!" She screeched at the mirror in desperation. This time, it answered.

As soon as she saw her reflection changing, Sarah sat down to watch. She wiped a stray salty drop from her cheek as the scene began to form. Inside the mirror, There was a great crowd gathered around a platform, where a guillotine stood next to a man in black.

"Citizens of the kingdom!"

The goblins quieted down to hear.

"Today you are here to witness the last of the executions!"

The goblin's started to cheer out as the executioner made his announcement. All fell silent as three figures in shackles shuffled onto the platform. As soon as Sarah saw the faces, she was overcome with a whole new wave of fear and tears.

"Oh no…" She whimpered.

"Ludo, the stone-caller. Hoggle the dwarf. And Didymus the knight. You were all tried and proven guilty of serving our former king, and aiding in the rebellion against our new lord – Silibian. You're punishment is execution. Let us begin." The man turned toward Sarah's three friends. "Ludo, step forward."

Sarah couldn't bear to watch anymore. She buried her face in her hands and turned away as she heard the axe came down. She kept repeating the words "Make it stop." and didn't dare to look until the last of her friends had been killed. How unfair and confusing at the same time. Unfortunately, she had already learned the lesson of 'unfair' two years ago. Things were moving too fast, she had only come up to speak with her friends of happy times, and now this? What gave? It broke her heart that she could do nothing to help. Finally, when she was sure it was over, she turned back to look.

Three bodies were being hauled off, but nobody but the girl through the mirror paid them any heed.

"Now, goblins, I bring you what you've all been waiting for." The executioner paused for affect. "The execution of the old king himself!" The crowd roared in anticipation. "Jareth, step forward!" The man yelled above the noise. A figure Sarah hadn't noticed before stepped out of the shadows and ascended the platform. Sarah's heart dropped four inches into her stomach. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mouth went dry.

The figure she hadn't noticed before, was Jareth.

As soon as she made the connection, Sarah's face changed from depthless sadness to pure horror-filled fear- and then a kind of rage that she had never felt before. The man who had given her the adventure she had longed for so long ago was about to be murdered. _NO! Dear spirits, not him!_ She screamed in her head.

The king looked up at her. _Wait… he can't… he can't, SEE me, can he? _Just as soon as the thought came into her mind, as if he could hear it, he smiled at her. His eyes bore into hers as if to say "_I'm sorry_" Or… maybe "Things are about to get interesting." Sarah was bad at reading people. Sorry for what! She wanted to scream at him. His smile was so sad…. Or, or something.

"Former king Jareth, you stand guilty of not handing over the throne, and are hereby sentenced to death."

Sarah wanted to cry until her heart couldn't bring her a single new tear, but her eyes remained dry.

"Any last words, your _highness_?" The executioner sneered at Jareth. The king shook his head and glared in answer.

"Such a pity…" He murmured.

"What?" The executioner asked, perplexed." Jareth's gaze turned icy at the man, as if he had just asked the stupidest question in the world.

"Such a waste… you will regret this, you know. You'll face the flames of hell for what you're about to do. And you will be doing it for nothing but false promises from a false king."

The man's expression turned sour. "How dare you speak to me like that! You are about to die, what gives you the authority to say such things?!" He screeched in outrage. Jareth smirked in amusement.

"Oh, how sadly you are mistaken my friend. I do not intend to die today; not when I still have unfinished business to take care of. Nobody who defeats my Labyrinth goes unpunished, you see." Jareth gave Sarah a wry smile before continuing on. "Therefore, I won't be dying today." The executioner was now quite red in the face from being so profusely embarrassed.

"You will die." He hissed between his teeth. He snatched up his axe and swung it through Jareth's head as fast as he could. "NO!" Sarah cried, but as soon as the king's decapitated body hit the ground, it deflated. Nothing but his clothes were left. He had disappeared – The crowed gasped, including Sarah. The executioner was furious.

"Guards!" He yelled, and ten finely muscled men turned up. "Search every inch of the Labyrinth! He musn't be allowed to escape!" The guards gave a salute, and disappeared.

Sarah couldn't help bursting into a fit of giggles as the mirror returned her reflection to her. She should have known that the Goblin King would give them all a run for their money… She stopped laughing and returned her face to seriousness as she stared off in thought. If the Goblin King wasn't In the Underground anymore, then, where was he?

--

Meanwhile, somewhere in Virginia, a blonde-haired man gave a small smirk into a crystal orb. Seconds later – a white barn owl flew off into the dawn.

--

~*~

~Please review and give me feedback! Constructive Criticism is _Always_ Welcome!~


	3. Act One, Scene Two

~Thanks for reading! I always figured this would be my worst chapter, considering how much I didn't want to write it, so I'm surprised it's as good as it is.~

{--Also, on another note, I would like to state that it wasn't a mistake to leave things out. This is done so that you have to use your mind to connect the dots and use your imagination.}

Act 1 Scene 2

The calm after the storm. Stillness. Some birds fly off into the distance, chirping out their morning song. Nothing is around to break the silence but the small, rhythmic sounds of a young girl's breathing- then the moment is ruined by the sound of an alarm, which is promptly followed by a groan. Sarah reached her hand out from beneath her warm covers and hit the alarm's snooze button. She was only half conscience the moment she did so.

A few hours later, Sarah's stepmother walked into the room. She turned the beeping alarm clock off, and placed a hand on her stepdaughter's white and clammy forehead. Karen confirmed her fear- Sarah was feverish. Gently she removed her hand, sighed, and left the room.

* * *

_Where is she?_ The owl thought angrily to himself as he flew around the schoolyard. He could see many teenage girls walking around and chatting with friends below- some even had the right height and hair color. But none of them were the girl he was searching for.

* * *

"Did I oversleep?" Sarah asked herself as she sat up and glanced at her alarm clock; the hot afternoon sun shineing through her window. Some water dripped from the walls- the melted frost from the night. But she couldn't see it. Sarah took another look at her clock and gasped. "Crap, I did oversleep! And I had a test today, too! Man, am I ever doomed." She ranted to herself as she hopped out of bed and rushed to her dresser- not realizing her weakened state until she fell back and found herself in her stepmother's arms.

"Take it easy, Sarah. You're sick." Karen stated softly as she helped Sarah back into bed. "I already called you in, now sleep."

Sarah was a bit confused, but a rising need to vomit made her only too happy to oblige. She lay back down and nodded her head in agreement. Five minutes later, she was sound asleep.

* * *

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're scaring the children." The homely English firmly told the man who had just barged into her classroom. He had run in shouting the name of one of her students. _"Sarah! Goblins be damned, where is she?"_ Poor girl, no wonder she had stayed home. Who would come to school when they had such a mentally messed up person stalking them? There was no way to describe his clothes, but the teacher could definitely tell his mental stage. All was not well in his attic.

Her words were backed up by the wide-eyed looks the children gave the man. Well, they weren't exactly children anymore- they were seniors.

* * *

Sarah tossed and turned in her bed as her mind was plunged into darkness.

It was sort of like her re-occurring nightmare, but not as scary. She walked forward, looking around warily, her hands held protectively over her heart. She couldn't tell which way was up, which way was down, or if she was truly walking straight or if she was going in circles. For all she knew, she could fall at any moment. "Is anybody… here?" She called out meekly. It seemed like hours since she had began walking- and even longer since she had said anything. Her voice sounded strange to her in the eerie silence.

She kept walking for what seemed like years, or perhaps just a second, until she finally came upon a light. It was small at first- then got bigger and brighter as she got closer to it. Soon she could make out a shape in the light. She started to run faster towards it- except that her feet weren't moving. Funny, she couldn't remember moving her feet at all during the whole time she had been there. So maybe she had been standing still the whole time, and the room had been moving around her? That had to be it, she decided as she watched the light come closer. When the light came close enough to touch her skin, she could feel that it was icy and cold- not warm and welcoming as it seemed the light should be.

"I think- is that you?" Sarah asked the light, which now took on the form of a man- a man with spikey hair and a lean figure. "Is that you, Jareth?" She asked as it dawned on her. The man nodded. "So you are alive… oh good." Sarah said more to herself than to anyone else. The light-man floated closer, and started to whisper into Sarah's ear. It was a sweet melodic sound- like a soft summer breeze. It unnerved Sarah, because it was too sickeningly sweet to belong to Jareth- or anyone good, for that matter. And she noticed that the man's mouth never moved. She suddenly felt very vulnerable and frightened. She did not trust this… this _thing_.

"Help me, Sarah. Help me retake my kingdom. Help me defeat my enemy. Please, I can't do it alone."

_But, how can I help you?_ Sarah asked in thought, as she found that she could no longer speak.

"Come to the underground. Come to the castle. I am hiding in the Escher room. Find me. Save me. Do this, and I will give you whatever you desire."

_I… I suppose I could… try._ Sarah agreed feebly.

The dream faded and Sarah stopped turning in discomfort, she settled back down into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

"I already told you, I'm innocent! Unhand me at once!" The Goblin King cursed at the man who had just placed iron cuffs on his hands. If there was anything that could stop the Fae, it was iron. The police ignored him, and finished writing up reports as they conversed with the teacher. The students had all been sent home.

{Hope you enjoyed it, it was a bit rushed since I wanted to hurry up and get to the next chapter, but I hope it was still readable. Please leave a suggestion/feedback and/or a review/comment. Thankkies, And look forward to my next chapter!}

((Another note: why the heck did this site outlaw dashes that seperate paragraphs? Now I had to go back and replace chapters, which sent annoying email updates to people! Jeez.))


	4. Act One, Scene Three

Sorry it took so long, read, enjoy, review. I gotta go! :)

Act 1 Scene 3

The after-math of a natural disaster can be devastating, and sometimes the damage is even deeper than we first think. When we're left to clean up, we can mend the land and the houses. When you're hurt, we can heal a broken bone or head injury. But when scars form in your past- and memories haunt your every dream; that's when we can't help at all. But Maybe- out there- is someone who can.

She awoke well rested. Apparently, a deep dreamless sleep was just what she needed. And just in time, too. It was already Friday. Nothing on earth could keep her from school, today. She missed her friends, she was getting behind in class! She sniffed the morning air as she got up and dressed. There was one smell that she recognized above the rest, and that made her smile.

Nothing could keep her from the fresh waffles she could smell downstairs. Sarah finished dressing and then bounded down to the kitchen with a bright smile on her face. The long winter was over, and soon spring would begin….

* * *

"Oh, bog it all. Why'd it have to be Iron?" Jareth grumbled to himself from inside his cell, a crystal rolling around in his hands. "None of this would have happened if that troublesome girl had been at school." He growled.

The room was dark and damp, and the lack of food was not helping his mood. If he didn't get out of there soon, then there would be no telling what kind of wrath he would wreak. "Or does she not care at all that her friend's have just been killed." The king thought it over for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head.

"No. Sarah isn't the kind of girl to let such a thing go. She has a temper that even surpasses mine, and spirits help me if she ever shows it." He chuckled lightly.

* * *

First period, math. It was one of Sarah's least favorite subjects, but she didn't seem to mind it today. She couldn't remember well, but she thought that something good must have happened in order to put her in this mood. If only she knew what it was… the day passed quickly and she spent half of it dazing out, blissfully dazed and fuzzy-headed. She kept trying to figure out what she forgot. Was it something that had happened? Dinner? A letter? Or a dream... When it finally hit her, she was sitting with her friends at lunch.

"Oh, that's it!" Sarah exclaimed as it came upon her.

"What is?" one of Sarah's friends asked. And the table's gossip radar went up.

Sarah realized that her friends were probably not going to let her slip go, and tried to pass it off as nothing. "My dream… You probably don't want to hear it." Her plan didn't work.

"Oh, but we do. Go on, spill." Another friend piped up, eager for a new story to hear.

"…You… you do? Well, okay. It was about a dream of a dream of a man..." Sarah hoped that the girls would lose interest soon.

The first friend interjected. "Sarah, that isn't how you tell a story!"

The second friend snorted in annoyance. "Shut up Stella, she was about to mention a guy." the girl turned to face Sarah. "We're sorry, continue."

And she did. "Once upon a time there was a kingdom underground- right under our very feet! And the kingdom was filled with many different creatures, stone-callers and fox-people and dwarves... and goblins! And then, there was the goblin king!"

"Wait wait WAIT." Stella interrupted, shaking her head to gain attention. "Aren't you're making this up? I know I've heard it somewhere... maybe from a book? Or some movie from the 1900's? Narnia, the dark crystal, the magic tree house series, or what was that one- the other one with puppets. Lab-something." She turned to her friend for help. "Do you remember that one, Lawny?"

Lawny nodded a little, faintly recalling what Stella was talking about. "Labyrinth"

Sarah hadn't been paying attention but her head snapped up when she heard the word, a movement which both the girs recognized.

"You know of it, Sarah?" Stella asked.

"Naturally you dope, she's obviously copying it." Lawny stated scornfully as she glared at her friend.

Sarah saw an opportunity to get the girls off her tail, and she took it. Gathering all her drama experience, she sighed and dropped her head a little as if she'd been caught. "Yes, you're right- I was copying that movie. The one with lion people and a book-"

"Now you're copying reading rainbow!" Stella shouted in outrage, which startled Lawny into standing up.

Sarah blushed and stuttered, trying to salvage the situation. That was _not_ what she had intended to happen. "No, no! I was saying labyrinth, with the king Kalith. I was just.... My real dream was boring, I just met this guy who resembled Kalith, Jareth. Said he was in trouble, that I needed to retur- I mean go to the underground, to help him. Please sit down Lawny, I'm sorry I lied."

The girls sat back down and their tempers cooled.

"Okay Sarah, it's fine." Lawny laughed a little. "For a second there I thought you were going to say that _you_ were the one who had gone to the underground. How pathetic would that have been!"

Sarah faked a small knowing laugh "Very..."

"Well, next time just make sure to tell us a better story." Stella stated, and then the two girls went back to their meals.

Sarah was happy that she managed to dodge that bullet, and that her friends found it boring. It would help her feel better when she left.

Through the glass, however, A certain Goblin King was not taking it as lightly.

* * *

"Silibian" Jareth hissed through his teeth. The crystal ball fell from his hands and shattered as he jumped up and pounded the stone wall next to him. "That BAST*RD!" He screamed in frustration. How had he found her? What the hell was his problem? What was he planning? And above the racket he was making, he couldn't hear a guard coming in.

As soon as he heard the jingle of keys, he prepared a way out. He couldn't use his magic against the iron bars- but his strength and the small opening the guard would make would be all he needed. As soon as he was out, he would be gone.

* * *

The rest of the day passed un-eventfully, and soon Sarah was home. She went inside and dumped her backpack on the ground. School had worn her out, and she wouldn't mind a good rest. But unfortunately she didn't have time for a nap, she had to get to Jareth's castle. But would it be safe? What about the guy who had killed her friends? They said that he was king now- would he be watching the mirror? She gave a lot of thought into what she would take to the underground, and only managed to decide on herself. After all, she knew too little to come prepared.

As Sarah climbed the stairs to the attic, she could hear faint sirens in the distance. They got louder as she found her vanity mirror and hauled it down to her room, but she payed them no heed. Carefully she dusted off the frame of her portal, and the last thing she had to do was lock the door. She was ready to depart.

* * *

The Police followed Jareth as he jumped over fences and ran through streets, completely forgetting his powers in his mad dash to get to Sarah. He knew what she was going to do next. He only hoped that he would make it in time to stop her. Silibian had failed to capture him, but Jareth knew that Sarah would not be so lucky. If she crossed into the mirror- Silibian would be waiting.

When he reached her house, however, he knew that it was too late. He stood in the street, in complete disbelief, as he watched the love of his life take a deep breath- and step through the portal. He didn't feel like he could move- and he would have stood there forever, but the sirens were growing closer. He dove into a bush right as they passed, and then continued to stare up at Sarah's room; Stricken.

~Comment, Rate, Criticize, Share (Have an imagination, people. I can't fix _every_ plot hole!)~


	5. Act One, Scene Four

~I can't believe I'm already half-way done! Yup, this is the last scene in act one! Enjoy!~

Act One, Scene Four

_The first thing Sarah saw when she arrived was white. The first thing she heard was screaming, the kind you hear when someone isn't where they should be- but it wasn't until she saw the carriage that she understood. Things happened very fast then- but as perception often will, the world seemed to slow to a stop for her. The horses were charging, blind in their rage from the whip. Sarah couldn't blame them. She didn't see them at first, either, with her head in a fuzz._

But before that. Sarah was wandering around the streets of the goblin city, which held considerably less goblins than she remembered seeing before. As far as she knew, Fae weren't generally inclined to visit the town beyond the labyrinth. Something must have changed recently for them to find welcome.

Minor as they were, but these things still perked the young girl's interest as she carefully picked her way through the crowd- passing a shoe shop, a hair shop, a dress shop- things bustled as usual, which helped Sarah to find a bit of calm in her pounding head. Where should she start? Where would Jareth be? What if Silibian found her? These were the thoughts that counted. She tried to focus on them.

But things still managed to slip into her mind, to captivate. Like the shimmer of a purse- one marked 'sale' and 'great buy!' the sign claimed that it was genuine dragon scale. The notion of there being an actual dragon around was wonderful. Sara wanted so much to buy the sparkling accessory, but she feared that they wouldn't take her money. Did the underground even use money? Suppose she just walked in and helped herself? The idea appalled her, how could she even let it manifest in her subconscious? This place was making her act unlike herself. Sarah noted that she'd have to be extra cautious of keeping her goal in mind.

When the sun rose to it's highest point in the sky, she found it. The castle beyond the city. Strange how she couldn't see it before, seeing how it towered above the ground, standing out like a seagull above the endless Atlantic. Yet there it was, standing where it hadn't been five minutes ago. Now all she had to do was get to it. A simple enough task to set, perhaps, but another thing entirely to go about doing. The streets were proving to be impassible; goblins and fae crowded what little space was not occupied by wheeling carriages. Sarah would have to find another way.

Alleyways and back roads led to a struggling slum-like area, filled with peddlers that couldn't make the high-sale blocks. Children dressed in rags laughed and played, they had nothing to fear behind the rocky walls. Sarah might have looked like a princess compared to them. Any of the shoppers in the heart of the town would find nothing of use here. Fortunately for Sarah, though, she wasn't looking for classy clothing. She was looking for a way around, and she found it. A narrow cobbled road that seemed to lead to the countryside. On one side was the slums, on the other was a pasture leading up to the castle.

She would have liked to have just run across it, but Sara found it more considerate to ask first. "Is there any danger in using the road there?" She asked a near-by urchin.  
The little boy just nodded his head and then ran away to join his friends, he was not used to being talked to by people dressed like Sarah. Even so, his gesture was all she needed. She took a breath, turned to the road, and took a step. That's when everything went wrong.

The first thing Sarah saw was white. The first thing she heard was screaming, the kind you hear when someone isn't where they should be- but it wasn't until she saw the carriage that she understood. Things happened very fast then- but as perception often will, the world seemed to slow to a stop for her. The horses were charging, blind in their rage from the whip. Sarah couldn't blame them. She didn't see them at first, either, with her head in a fuzz. She felt kind of like when she bit Jareth's peach. But she didn't remember eating anything. Closing her eyes, Sarah steeled herself and prepared for contact.  
But it never came.

"Are you alright?" A shadow leaned over her, blocking the sun from her eyes. Sarah squinted to make out the form of the girl's face. She was beautiful, with light brown hair and light fair skin. Her eyes were silver and her lips were full and pink. She was wearing a dark purple dress that was belted at the waist, but otherwise flowed to cover her undoubtedly petite feet. The girl was probably no older than seventeen, and as Sarah watched, she straightened and turned to yell to someone that was beyond Sarah's line of sight. "Stephon! Bring some water from the bucket, we're taking this lady with us."

"Y-You're majesty! Lidia, but, surely you're joking…" A man complained from behind.

"Now, Stephon!" The girl ordered. Sarah tried to sit up, putting a hand to the left side of her head, but the girl turned to her and stopped her. "Shh, rest now. I'm taking you to the castle, your highness. We've been looking everywhere for you."

Sarah managed to squeak out a small okay before the man came over with water. She gratefully sipped the cool liquid, letting it soothe her suddenly dry throat. Next thing she knew, she was being lifted into a carriage, and the next, they were setting off.  
For a while, Sarah rested with her head in the girl- Lidia's- lap with her eyes closed. Then, when she was feeling good enough to make sense of it all, she looked up.

"You are Sarah, correct?" Lidia asked. The darker-haired girl nodded her head. "Good. I've been expecting you."

"Where's Silibian." Sarah demanded, ignoring the previous words spoken.

Lidia lifted Sarah so that she was sitting, and looked at her quizzically for a few seconds before answering. "You're brother is off on business. I'm you're cousin. Don't you remember?"

"What…" Sarah asked, without answer.

"Don't say anything." Lidia stated sharply. "Here you are Princess Sierra. Brother of Silibian, face of the throne."

"What?" Sarah asked again, a little more demanding, but again without answer. The carriage bumped and rolled on. After some time it rolled to a stop.

"Save me." Lidia whispered quietly in Sarah's ear before the carriage door swung open.

"We're here, your majesties." The man from before announced.

"Good. Come along princess." Said Lidia, gently taking Sarah's hand. "We have a lot of work to do."

~*~

~Comment and Review Please! Thanks!~


	6. Act Two, Scene One

~Sorry, this is mostly filler (Kind of like Act 1 Scene 2 was)~

Act 2 Scene 1.

Satin lies spun in blood.

Strange how minutes for her, amount to hours for him; How men in suits question a tired, worried, mother in the shadows of her home. The old grandfather clock faithfully tolls the hour of five, yet it's fast by a fifth of a second. Allowing this disruption, the mechanical grind of questions continue in the hollow of the parlor.

"When did you last see her?" The gruff man asks, notepad in hand, flipped to a new page. He's running out of lines, so many spaces are filled with the scribbling of other cases. Some solved, some that will never be closed.

"This morning." Answers the chagrined woman, shaking as she sits at the edge of her seat on the couch. It's a mellow couch, a sort of paisley yellow with faded blue flowers.

"Was she well?"

"She was sick for a few days beforehand, but she seemed the picture of health today."

"Is she involved with any shady business?"

"No, officer, how dare you imply that she-"

"Has she spoken with anyone suspicious?"

"Well, I have seen this one man around…"

"We already know and are on his tracks, rest assured that if he has your daughter-"

"He doesn't."

"I see. Well then, ma'am. We have no more questions for you." Flipping the notebook closed, the policeman turns to leave the sullen home, but something compels him to stop. It isn't unnatural to feel sorry for her, not when you live in such a treacherous world.

"I'm sorry, I truly am." He adds before leaving into the slowly cooling twilight.

Sirens scream and then fade away, and all that's left to ease the silence is the ticking of the grandfather clock. A fifth of a second off.

* * *

"Blast this world to fire and hell." Jareth hissed between his teeth, stopping for breath behind a shoe shop. "That girl still has no sense in her confounded human noggin." He was talking to himself, of course, he did that rather often. "Drat."

Slinking into the dwindling crowd, his Fae ears were alert for gossip. Should he choose to do so, he could easily change into something more… comfortable to attempt to woo a Fae lady out of her knowledge. However, the goblin king decided that this was not the best solution to his problem. Only listening didn't seem to be getting him anywhere either, unfortunately.

"Oh, no, bless me. The lord is out of town this day, but I hear her ladyship is here." A light merry voice chimed from inside the shop.

Jareth's interest piqued, by lord they obviously meant Silibian, and by lady….

"Lady Sierra? Do you think she will help us against her brother?" A customer joined in.

They didn't mean Sarah. Or did they? The lady Sierra had taken ill shortly before Silibian attacked, so how could she be present now? Jareth could not decide, but chose to believe they did mean Sarah. Satisfied with this information, he prepared to continue searching. But before he left, one last sentence traveled to his ears.

"I don't know. I still hold faith In our own king, Jareth, wherever he his."

Said king smiled in delight at his subject's faith. That would come in handy should he take back the throne, which he most certainly planned to do.

As the candles lit, the sun burnt out, and the meandering civilians went home, the blond king took off into the night.

~Please read, comment, review!~


	7. Act Two, Scene Two

Sorry it took so long (and/or is rushed . Enjoy! Review!)

Act two, scene two

"No way!" The raven-haired girl exclaimed from the pedestal that stood in the center of the room. Her jaw hung low as she gaped at her reflection in the mirror, if the mesmerizingly beautiful form that stood before her was indeed, her own. She couldn't come to accept it. Green eyes peered out from wavy curled locks that hung at the side of her face. A sheer milky-white fabric curtained her weakly in the front, quarter-sleeves hanging barely attached on her upper arms while cutting low on her back and cinching at her waist with a thin silver thread. The dress stopped at her ankles, but did not show flesh. Instead simple silver slippers and stockings took the place. The whole ensemble was accented by a matching white gold bracelet chain and headdress, dancing around the crown of her head. Light colors made her skin look paler, but not sickly so. Her black hair set it off. "This is… this isn't me?" She asked, turning to her new friend who stood behind her.

"It is." Lydia replied. It was hard to see between the two who looked more stunning. Lydia wearing a dark purple satin much like Sarah's but without the dipping back, and with golden accents instead of silver. Lydia with her paper-thin figure and auburn burnt hair. Lydia's silver doe eyes and full colored lips with matching flushed cheeks. Or Sarah, the almost complete opposite, yet similar all the same. Lydia smiled at the fake princess "You are gorgeous, cousin. You are almost ready."

"Almost?" Sarah cocked her head as her companion stepped forward to help her down. Instead of replying, the brunette looked to the bedroom door and called for the butler, Stephon. The mildly-aggravated man strode in, wearing the same black and white suit as before, but now he was carrying a purse. Sarah's jaw dropped for the second time that day. "But that's-" She started.

"The purse you were looking at earlier? Yes, one of the civilians alerted me of it while you slept this morning."

Sarah grinned and hugged Lydia hard, before taking the dragon-scaled accessory from Stephon. "Thank you, thank you!" She gushed, Lydia nodded again.

"Now, we are ready."

It didn't take long for Sarah to fall into the routine. Walk straight, head high, eyes locked forward. Wave, smile, wave, smile, laugh, no scowling. This man is a faithful and important asset. Greet him, small talk, stop touching your hair… Yes we're glad of your contribution. How much longer, don't ask questions, where is it safe to step, can't we shop here, why dress up for the town, it's for image, that's stupid, watch your tongue.

For lunch they stopped at a new café that had opened over-night. Run by Fae, for Fae. No goblins aloud… the rule gave Sarah a bad feeling in the pit of her heart. She had to steel herself from the changes, because this wasn't the way she knew the place to be. Don't worry, she reassured herself. You'll return everything to normal. Everything will be fine once you find Jareth, and besides, you look dazzling. _And you enjoy acting._

"Sierra? We're heading back to the castle for a rest. You haven't touched your food, are you feeling unwell?"

Lydia brought her back from inner discomfort, and Sarah realized that she had been sitting for an hour. Salad and soup left completely undisturbed on the table.

"I'm not hungry…" She murmured, "I'm fine, let's go."

Lydia nodded and the two got up to leave, walking out to the hall. They headed for the outside door when Lydia suddenly dropped to the ground. Sara managed a surprised squeak before a gloved hand was clamped over her mouth. "Quiet!" her attacker mumbled, as if she could talk anyway.

The man turned her and backed her into a hallway to the right. He stayed behind her, step by step. "Don't worry… don't worry." He cooed. "Stephon will find Lydia and get her home. You should be more concerned about yourself." It was like he was reading her mind. But Sarah still gave a worried look to the direction where Lydia lay. At least until she was being pushed onto a cart that sat right outside the café's back entrance.

The cart was worse than the carriage, if that was possible. Somewhere along the ride Sarah had fallen asleep.

"Princess…" She jolted awake to find herself in a musty cellar. She couldn't see anything, so she wasn't sure.

"Playing princess again, little Sarah?" The voice came again. The speaker sounded old- the same as before.

She wanted to demand the name of her company, but could only manage a questioning, "Jareth?" The immediate and answering laughter wasn't helpful.

"Oh no, girlie, I'm just a messenger of Silibian's. I'm here to let you know that you're trapped. I'm sure you think Jareth will save you, moron. Didn't you come here to help _him_?" Again he seemed to know every little thing she was thinking.

"Well he's here. Are you interested in seeing him?" Sarah stood up suddenly, anxious. What did 'he's here' mean? _Here_?

"Moron." The voice echoed, but she wasn't interested anymore, for now her surroundings were changing, the lights coming on. What she earlier thought was a dungeon, was in fact a bar closet. She could now hear the drunken chatter in the room behind the door. The man from before was nowhere in sight.

* * *

"Two days…" Karen whispered. "Sara, please come home."

Enjoy! Please review!


	8. Act Two, Scene Three

~Thank you for tolerating me~

Act Two, Scene Three.

First things first, Sarah had to assess her position. Well, her clothes were all dirty, and her curls uncurled, and her socks muddy, and her make-up mussed. That wouldn't do… especially not for the environment she'd been stuck in. A ragged princess in a bar would need just a little bit of clean up, and a lot of dressing down.

The stockings were abandoned in the corner. Then she raked her muddy fingers through her hair, removing the headdress. Taking off the jewelry and face paint was harder, but not undoable, and soon she looked like a grungy bar maid. All that beautiful finery, gone, what a waste.

The second thing to do was assess her situation. Sarah was stuck in a closet, in a bar who knows where, without a way back to the castle. She'd have to get out, find Jareth? Well, the only escape was through the room beyond. "Here goes…" Sarah mumbled to herself.

Some sort of smoke greeted her nose, and she couldn't believe how crowded the place was. Speaking of which, how on earth had that man even gotten her into that closet? Never mind. Sarah didn't need nor want to know that. Now she started wandering around. Lots of goblins, a few Fae, she really stood out. Shopkeepers and messengers lined the walls. Near the door was a small gathering of them… and in the middle, was that?

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed, speeding up as she walked to him. The arrogant man turned his head, and gave a wide grin.

"Sarah, my dear…" He dismissed the common folk to allow her a place to sit down.

"Yeah." She replied, sitting across from him.

"Yeah...?" Jareth chuckled, his eyes darkening. "Yeah? What the hell were you thinking! Coming back here?"

The change of mood offset the girl. "I… well you told me to! Didn't you? That was you right?"

Jareth put a hand to his forehead, groaning a bit. "No. I did no such thing, Sarah. That was Silibian, you've fallen into his trap. You idiot."

"Argh!" Sarah suddenly growled. "Stop that! Do you know how many times I've been told that I'm stupid today? This week? How the hell was I supposed to know that it wasn't you!"

"Did it sound like me?"

"Well… no, but he looked like you, and glowed…"

"Sarah." Jareth looked up from under his hand. "Do I glow?"

"I…" Sarah looked at him hard. "No. No Jareth, you don't."

Awkward silence as neither had anything to add.

"I've missed you." She said quietly.

"You…" Jareth straightened up and put his hand down to his side. "I missed you too."

Silence again.

"So, what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" The king scoffed.

"Well you want your kingdom back, right?" She asked confused. "So how are we going to do that?"

This sent the king into deep thought.

"I guess…" He started a good while later. "If the people refuse him…"

"Yes, that's right. If his own subjects push him away, then you can reclaim the throne. We just have to expose him for who he is? How?"

"I've got an idea." And so Jareth told her the whole plan, and Sarah agreed. Tomorrow night when Silibian returned, he would most likely pursue the girl. Sarah would play along, and when his intentions were revealed, the whole court would know. Jareth would spy on them with his crystals.

"Then be off safely, Sarah."

She nodded and got up. "I will. And you too, be safe."

"It was nice seeing you again." Jareth murmered after she had gone.

* * *

Back in Sarah's room, the water pooled and blackened.

{Grrrrr. This chapter is so crappy because I was so confused on how I'd continue/finish the story... with one chapter left, I'd better figure things out quick. I know this one is short, but unfortunately next chapter might be shorter. I'm just so ready to be done with this project!)


	9. Act Two, Scene Four

Act Two, Scene Four.

(and with this final note, all cards on the floor, I hope you are ready for what is in store!

Bad poetry, I know. Shut up. I was tired)

IIII

Sarah, in her haste, forgot that she had no way… 'home'. But she needn't have worried anyhow, since Lydia had the entire kingdom out searching for her. So Sarah made it back fine, and was yet again dressed in her finery.

And the ceremony was begun, and Salibian was present, and Sarah hid. Jareth kept his eyes And she hid until his eyes met hers. That's when it all went to hell.

Sarah turned and fled the room, the benevolent fake-king on her heels. The ball attendees began chattering as the two running found their way to the Escher room. Sarah's chocolate hair whipped her bare shoulders as she gasped for breath intake. Her throat hurt and her legs were locking up. Where the devil was the real Jareth? If she looked behind her, she could see no difference anymore. Was it really Silibian? If so, she must fight on. But if it were her beloved, she thought she'd rather let him catch her.

Either way, Sarah felt she must go on. And she did, until her feet found a stone and she tripped up a staircase. Salibian was upon her now, and still no Jareth to be seen…? _I'm doomed!_ Sarah bawled.

But before Salibian could get in a blow, his knife was knocked out of hand by the legit devil king himself. The imposter struggled, Jareth valiantly kept him away, yet he couldn't hold out for long.

Sarah was shoved off the edge and fell down. Down, down, until a great pool of black blood was rushing up to meet her.

This was all her personal nightmare, finally come to life. She clenched her eyes shut.

But instead of dying, as before, this time she found herself lying on the floor of her bedroom…. Was it really over? Bad story-writing and procrastination and iffy pacing and all? Wait - breaking fourth wall - sorry (Okay, so, no. She didn't fall through the black in the Escher room just to land in the black in her room. Although, I did spend quite some time on that subplot…. Yeah, yeah, fine. Jareth _does_ catch her before that happens).

Was it really over? Sarah thought as she slowly raised her eyelids… and there was Jareth, holding her, smiling at her, um, too close?

"Will you stay with me this time?" He sadly asked.

Sarah shook her head and looked over at Silibian's body on the ground. "I have things to do in my world."

Jareth leaned down to kiss her. "Then I guess, this is good-"

"Wait!" Lydia interrupted from the doorway. "Take me with you Sarah. I want out of this place."

"Then… Twice you've deceived my love." He growled.

"Oh Jareth." Sarah sighed. "I never said that I didn't love you." And she kissed him.

And Jareth regained all his powers and control. And he sent the two girls home, with the promise that some day, when Sarah was ready, he would once again have her for his own.

IIII

(Sowwy. I really wanted it finished. I really didn't wanna spend too much time on it, but, hope you enjoyed anyway.)


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